The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-14
TEXAR'S REVENGE
BY JULES VERNE.


| at the head of this band OF scoundrels who had
invaded Candles Bay-as Mr.. Harveys mes
senger had been unable ascertain-the last
cry Of Zermah had only too clearly revealed the
part he took in the abduction. And had not
| Alice recognized him as the boat was rowing
| away
Yes Federal justice would make the scoun-
| drel confess where he had taken his victims,
| and punish the crime he could not deny.
| Unfortunately nothing happened to confirm
his hypothesis concerning the arrival of the
Northern fotilla in the waters OF the St. Johns.
| At this date, the Sd of March. ship had left
the bay of St Mary's, as only too clearly
certaned by the letter which of the assistant
| overseers brought in during the day from the
| other bank of the river, to which he had gone
to inquire. No vessel had appeared off Pablo
| light The whole fleet was employed ct Fernan-
! dina and Fort Clinch. It seemed as though
Comm odore Dupont could only advance into the
center of Florida with extreme circumspection.
/ At Jacksonville the rioters were still in power.
| After the expedition to Candles Bay the
/ Spaniard had again appeared in the town, and
| organizing the defense against Stevenss
| gunboats. should they try to cross the bar.
| Doubtless some false alarm the evening before
had called back the looters After all, not
Texar's vengeance sufficient, now that the plan
negroes dispersed in the forests with nothing
but the ruins of the barracoons left them. and
little by taken away from her father and mother,
with no trace as where she had gomez
OF this James Burbank felt only too certain,
when during the morning he and Walter Stan
nard explored the right bank of the river. In
vain they searched the smaller creeks for some
clew to the direction taken by the boat. The
search could at the best be but incomp lete, I'M
less the left bank was searched as we'll.
But at this time this impossibls2
Would it not be necessary to wait till Texar and
his partisans were reduced to impotence by the
arrival of the federalsl With Mrs. Burbank
in such a state, Alice unable TO leave her. and
Carol laid up for some days. would it not be
imprudent to leave them alone at Castle House
when the return of the assailants was not IN
likely?
And what was even more maddening was that
Burbank could not dream of proceeding against
Texar either for the devastation of his estate,
nor the abduction of Zermah and his daughter.
The only magistrate to whom he could address
himself the author of the crime All that
could be done was to wait until regular justice
had resumed its course at Jacksonville.
James" said Mr.. Stannard, 'if the dangers
which threaten your child are terrible at least
Zermah is with her, and you can depend on her
devotion"
"Till death--quite so !" said Burbank "And
when will Zermah be deadl'
Listen, my dear James. Consider for mo-
ment. It is not Texar's interest to proceed to
such extremities. He has not yet left Jackson
vile. and until he has think his victims have
no act OF violence to fear Your child will be
guarantee, hostage against the reprisals which
he haste guard against not only from you. but
roIa dad fhor
ular authorities of Jacksonville; and devastated
Northern plantation. 1t is his interest to spare
them and wait till Dupont and Sherman
masters of the territory before you do anything
against him"
''And when will that bel' asked Burb ank.
Tomorrow! To-day, perhaps! l tell you.
by is Texar's safeguard. 1t is for tina purpose
he took the opportunity of carrying her off,
knowing that it would also break your heart
my poor James; and the scoundrel has succeeded
Thus reasoned Mr.. Stannard and he had good
grounds for doing Would he convince James
Burbank Doubtless, no. Would he give him
any hopes None. 1t was impossible But Bur
bank that he must force himself to talk
before his wife Stannard had talked to him.
Otherwise she would not survive the blow.
And when he reached home, he made much use
of the arguments which had no effect upon him
self.
Meanwhile Perry and his assistant overseers
visited Candles Bay It was heartrending
spectacle, which even made great impression
Pygmalion, who accompanied them. The
free man" had never dreamt of following the
freed slaves dispersed py Texar. The liberty to
sleep in the woods and suffer cold and hunger |
seemed to him excessive. AS he preferred to
remain at Castle House, he ought, like Zermah,
to have up his act of enfranchisement to
gain the right to live there
''You see, Pyg!" said Mr.. Perry, ''the planta- |
ton is laid waste, workshops are in ruins.
That is what has been the cost of giving liberty |
to people of your color"
MIR. Perry" replied Pygmalion, sit is not my
fault"
1T is your fault If fellows like you had not
applauded the speechifers who Numbered
ideas of the North. if you had taken arms to re-
pulse the federal troops, Mr.. Burbank would
never have come to Candies Bay"
But what / do now! said the disconso- |
late Pyg What can do, Mr. Perryaa
II will tell you, Pys. If You have the least
feeling of justice about you You are free, are
you not?"
at seems So"
And. consequently, you belong to y0ursslf''
'And if you belong to yourself, there is moth |
yourself"
Nothing Mr.. Perry"
''Well, in your place Pyg. I should not hest |!
tate. would 60 to the nearest plantation and |
again become slave. and the price realized
by my sale l would bring back to my old master, |
to indemnify him for the wrong did him when |
he set me free!"
Did the overseer speak serouslyl 1t was i'm
possible to know what nonsense the witty |
might talk he had mounted his hobby |
Pygmalion, the piteous Pygma.ion, disconnected, |
irresolute, abashed, did not know what to reply. |
1t was only too evident that James Burbanks |
act of generosity had brought misfortune and |
ruin on the plantation. The disaster would cost |
him considerable amount of money. There |
were no barracoons left: they had fallen after |
they had been sacked. The sawmills and work |
shops were only heaps of cinders from which |
grey wreaths of smoke still In place of |
the stores where the timber kept. of the |
factories where the cotton was heckled, OF the |
hydraulic presses where it squeezed into |
bales, of the sugar mills, there wore only black
ened walls ready to fall and where the chimney /
of the factory rose, there but mound |
of Redeemed bricks. The fields OF coffee and |
rice, the kitchen garden, the Enclosures for the |
domestic animals, had been completely laid |
waste, as if a herd of wild beasts had ravaged |
them for hours. At the sight of this lamentable |
spectacle, MIR. Perry could hardly contain him |
self. His anger escaped in threatening words |